Festung Guernsey, the group which restores the bunkers, held an open day on Saturday of the network of fortifications at Fort Hommet.
Hundreds of islanders took up the opportunity to see part of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall, the largest military construction ever undertaken.
Project coordinator Steve Powell said the volunteers spend thousands of hours restoring the sites, so it was fulfilling to see the public interest.
‘We’ve got a lot of people that come year on year and they often comment about the amazing progress we’ve made between the visits, so it’s very satisfying.
‘The amount of people who come here for educational reasons or for tourism is growing, it’s getting more and more popular.’
The highlight for many was the personnel bunker, which had been finished off just a few hours prior to opening.
Up to 12 German soldiers would have slept on bunk-beds in a small room, and their original artwork is still on the walls.
By the telephone is stencilling with the instructions to ‘achtung!’ because the ‘enemy’ could be listening on the local network.
A stove in the corner would have been used for heating and cooking.
Entertainment was limited to drawing and playing cards at a small table.
The officer’s quarters in the room next door has more space and a proper bed, ventilation and an emergency exit.
Heavy bombproof doors protect the rooms, and children at the open day were fascinated with all the weaponry.
The next site along is the so-called M19 which houses the machine mortar.
Not long after the war it was blown up by islanders because they wanted to remove and use the 50 tonnes of steel, which was very valuable.
It took Festung Guernsey nearly 10 years to rebuild the blown-up part of the bunker, and the cracks on the thick outer wall shows where the rebuild started.
Mr Powell said this was probably his favourite site.
‘I like the M19 because of its relative uniqueness. There were only five in Guernsey and eight in the Channel Islands, and there’s not many of them in the whole of the Atlantic Wall, so we’re very lucky to have access to this one.
‘When we’ve finished the roof we will have the only working M19 on the whole of the Atlantic Wall.’
Further bunkers at Fort Hommet are still buried, including water bunkers and anti-tank bunkers. Festung Guernsey hopes to get permission to open them up in future.
At every site on Saturday there were highly-informed volunteers to explain to the public what happened there.
‘It’s a labour of love’ said Mr Powell, ‘and we’re very grateful to the public for supporting us.’
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